Ugly, last-gen visuals further dampen the fear factor. Muddy textures and low poly counts cause scenery and monsters to blend together into a murky mess.

Though Luxor is addictive, it ultimately lacks the oomph, variation and a multiplayer mode that would help to make it an all-around great game.

Read that last bit again. “Dress up Mama to your liking?” Has there ever been a creepier, more Freudian feature in any game, ever? No, we do NOT want to put cute clothes on Mama.

Drag x Drive makes a solid case for the Nintendo Switch 2's mouse control scheme, but it fails to make one for these wheelchair basketball matches themselves. Elegant steering doesn't mesh well with comparatively imprecise and messy tackling and shooting systems that range from too tricky to far too simple.

Sonic Rivals 2 would have been a lot more fun if the racing was more polished and there were more tracks. Instead there are too many other aspects of the game that spoil the essentials.

Baroque is obviously one of the most hardcore RPGs you're ver going to find, a real level-grinder.

Jikandia is a visually distinct, charming game that has the potential to be fun in small doses – but since the game design actively discourages you from playing like that, it simply turns into a somewhat-better-than-okay experimental platformer.

Despite smooth gameplay and fancy visuals, this game is handicapped by a distinct lack of courses and players, leaving it feeling incomplete and rather bland.

Mind Over Mutant is a lot better than Crash of the Titans and the world is probably a slightly better place for its existence. But it’s not quite slick enough underneath all those pretty visuals to earn essential status.

But even as a flawed game, Murder on the Orient Express still manages to draw you in with lush environments, a stellar score and top-notch voice acting (which manage to make most of the protracted conversations at least marginally interesting).

It may take a bit of imagination and willingness to suspend belief on your part but the premise is fresh and that's worth a lot these days.

Some people may find that kind of oppressive difficulty refreshing, but most folks, including the game's intended audience, are apt to find it frustrating.

For the most part though, this game is all about gradually building up parks by yourself in the free play mode and relaxing with your creations. If that sounds fun to you, then you'll dig Zoo Tycoon 2 DS.

Fort Solis starts strong but quickly struggles to circumvent its shortcomings. Despite the strong visual identity and drive towards absolute immersion, this narrative-adventure ultimately suffers due to its glacial movement and finicky controls. There's promise in the concept, but a lack of refinement is palpable in the execution.

Puzzle Scape isn't terribly original in either concept or presentation, but it's enough like the great games it's copying to be well worthwhile.

An incredibly pretty game with some impressive ideas, and it's going to surprise you with its engaging story and weighty combat. The short campaign and repetitive battles hold it back from greatness, but it's a journey through Rome absolutely worth experiencing, if just to see exactly what the console is capable of.

This game's title is a massive misnomer. You don't "create" anything – you mess around with preset environments and then slap stickers all over it. You want to get the Create experience and save a few bucks? Buy a coloring book.

Secret Saturdays is for the most part an enjoyable experience for fans of the show and preteens that need something to do on their DS. The rest of us might be better off with Pokemon and Bionic Commando elements in their pure forms, however.

The main character’s name is SONIC – it’s a reference to how fast he can run. Why must the game include all this other random crap, especially when it isn’t all that polished anyhow?

If everything would have worked as well as it could have, Jurassic Park: The Game would have been a successful experiment into creating a new type of cinematic game.

ProStroke in a nutshell: A devoted wannabe who shows potential - and who certain golf nuts will probably applaud - but who needs to keep polishing his fundamentals before he can take one from the sport's seasoned pros.

Konductra can be fun, or frustrating. And while it can be fun for the right reasons, it will be frustrating for the wrong reasons. We’re hoping a sequel can really improve on its premise.

There’s also a two-player co-op wireless mode, though the fact that both players need the game make it seem unlikely you’ll use it much. Overall, this isn’t a bad game, but it really does feel like the other half is out there somewhere waiting to be found. If it were $15 or $20, we’d say give it a shot. But at press time, it’s $30, only ten dollars cheaper than the latest Guitar Hero game on DS.

More than anything, Astro Boy is a great surprise for what many would assume is simply some child’s Christmas present. The Astro Boy coating is there so kids ask mommy and daddy to spend their holiday bonuses on it, but High Voltage Software felt nice enough to sneak in a fun game too. It’s like the whiskey Grandpa adds to the eggnog.

This sort of inoffensive and undeniably unique bite-sized offering should play well with families, and for the rest of us, we can only hope it's but a stepping stone on the path to richer and equally affordable Kinect experiences on the horizon.

Devoid of many important modes and features, NHL 15 feels incomplete, and will not appeal to long-time fans.

At only $30, Rio is worth looking into if you're a parent with kids who just aren't satisfied with 96 minutes of endangered animated birds on the big screen. If you're an older player looking for some multiplayer action for parties with your buds, however, it probably goes without saying that you should stick with Call of Duty or Guitar Hero. This bird just isn't meant for you.

A lack of extensive content proves to be the ultimate detractor, as most skilled players will see and do nearly everything on the single-player front inside of five hours. And without Wi-Fi play or even single-card support, the multiplayer experience is hardly a highlight of this iteration.